1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile communication system and, more particularly, to a broadcast/multicast service system and method supporting inter-network roaming in order to provide a broadcast/multicast service to a user when the user roams in a visiting network which may or may not be a broadcast type network.
2. Description of the Related Art
A broadcast/multicast service (referred to hereinafter as ‘BCAST service’) is a new type of service that provides a sky wave broadcast or supplementary information to a mobile terminal. The BCAST service includes both a broadcast service and a multicast service. A broadcast service, offered by a service provider, transmits usable information to every user who has subscribed to the services of the service provider. A multicast service, also offered by a service provider, transmits information only to a certain group of users who have subscribed for a specific subject or contents.
Currently, in the mobile communication network, a simple service is provided to provide simple information to users, but the BCAST service providing a multimedia type broadcast or various contents to users roaming in the mobile communication network is not provided yet.
Further, in a situation where the BCAST service is independently operated by each BCAST service provider, if a user who has subscribed to a specific service provider is moved to an area of a different service provider, continuity of the BCAST service for the user is not provided.
In addition, when the user who has subscribed for a specific BCAST service with the user's home network roams to a visiting network, there is no procedure, system or mechanism by which the BCAST service contents of the home network are provided to the user roaming in the visiting network. If the visiting network is a non-broadcast type network or is a broadcast type network which may be the same type as or different from the home network, there is no defined procedure by which the user roaming in the visiting network can obtain the BCAST service of the home network or the BCAST service of the visiting network. This inconveniences the user greatly.